Trump Announces Two-Week Iran Ceasefire Hours Before Military Deadline

President Donald Trump pulled back from the brink of massive military escalation on Tuesday, announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran just 90 minutes before his 8 p.m. deadline to launch strikes on "a whole civilization." The deal came after intensive Pakistani diplomacy, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lobbying Trump to pause and allow negotiations. Trump's conditions are clear: Iran must fully reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, and Israel has also agreed to suspend its bombing campaign during the ceasefire period. Trump framed the pause as a victory, claiming the US has "already met and exceeded all Military objectives" and stating that "almost all" past points of contention with Iran have been resolved, with a 10-point Iranian proposal serving as the negotiating framework.

The ceasefire announcement comes amid active military operations: US-Israeli strikes destroyed a synagogue in Tehran (with Israel expressing regret for the "collateral damage"), and multiple petrochemical and industrial facilities in Iran came under attack in recent hours. Meanwhile, the Gulf region has been actively intercepting missile and drone attacks. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar worked late into the night calling regional leaders—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Morocco—to coordinate the diplomatic push. A regional source told CNN that "some good news is expected from both sides soon." Trump told Fox News that negotiations are "heated" but didn't elaborate, though he praised Sharif as a "respected man."

The ceasefire announcement has exposed rare Republican dissent. Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran, a West Point graduate and self-described Reagan Republican, publicly rejected Trump's rhetoric about destroying a civilization, writing: "America is great because America is good." Sen. Lisa Murkowski similarly condemned the threat as an "affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold," warning it "directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home." In parallel developments, American journalist Shelly Kittleson was released from captivity by the pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah on the condition she immediately leave the country.